Here at the Abundant Wellness Center we have created a caring community, which recognizes that wellness, as a whole is a component of many things…diet (quality of food), exercise (trained movement), bodywork (maintenance to obtain and sustain wellness), spirituality (not referring to a religion) and lifestyle choices (created through education). Clients comment on the soft gentle colors of the décor, the soothing sounds of the fountains, the sense of feeling safe and relaxed, as well as experiencing relief from their problem(s).

What people frequently say about the Abundant Wellness Center is “I love the energy here!” and “You have so much great stuff to offer - thank you for being here!”

Staff

Jennifer Bagnell
Jennifer has been practicing and teaching Belly Dancing in the Pioneer Valley for many years, and is a former member of the Crescent Dancers, one of the most well-known Belly Dance troupes in Massachusetts. Over the last two years, Jen has been teaching both beginner’s and continuing Belly Dancing classes at the Abundant Wellness Center. She is also an accomplished costumer and makes many of the area belly dancers' outfits for their special events. Jen is proud to be a featured soloist at Café Lebanon in both Springfield and Northampton.

Debee Boulanger, Director, LMT
Debee, owner and director of the Abundant Wellness Center, has been practicing massage therapy since 1996. She is a graduate of the Muscular Therapy Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2001, Debee became certified in Medical Massage from Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in affiliation with Hartford Hospital. Debee is continually taking workshops to advance her education in massage therapy. Some of her more recent studies include advanced Medical Massage, releasing a frozen shoulder without surgery, and working with and managing chronic pain using various massage techniques. In 2005, Debee successfully completed 100 hours of advanced Medical Massage Instruction from Robert Pecora. Early in her career, Debee realized her clients needed access to additional modalities, such as Yoga, Acupuncture or CranioSacral Therapy. With her focus on medical and therapeutic massage, she knew she couldn’t do it all. And at that time, the Greater Springfield area was limited in the variety of other therapeutic modalities. Knowing that it was not realistic to send all of her clients to Northampton, Hartford or even Boston for treatment, Debee birthed the idea of a wellness center in Chicopee. As Director of the Abundant Wellness Center, Debee takes pride in the qualifications and expertise of the other therapists, teachers and workshop facilitators working out of the Center. Debee’s commitment to excellence has paid off, with the Abundant Wellness Center having been voted Best in the Valley in both Massage and Acupuncture for 2006 & 2007 with the Valley Advocate Reader’s Poll.

Tom Campbell, LMT
Tom was trained in massage at the Amherst School of Massage Therapy. During his education, he encountered two students who were also Reiki Masters; it was then that Tom started learning about how to heal with energy as well as with massage. Once in practice, he quickly realized that he was already doing energy work intuitively, which led to him to take formal training in Reiki as well as Shamballa Healing. Tom’s talent and sincere interest in his client’s well being has helped him build a successful massage practice at his office in Westfield, as well as the Abundant Wellness Center.
  
Brenda Edwards
Wellness Guide Brenda Edwards brings “The Encounter” to the Abundant Wellness Center. Your Spirit guides you on a mystical, passionate and exciting journey into the hidden terrains of your conscious, subconscious, and unconscious realms. The games result is an opportunity for clarity and alignment to your High Self, fostering positive change and igniting passionate purposeful intentions. Brenda participates as one of the gifted readers with our Psychic Fairs. Brenda is Co-director of Quantum Life Management Center, in East Longmeadow. Her most precious gift is to recognize who others really are and their greatest potential, even before they see it themselves.

Wanda Koch
Wanda Koch, known professionally as Cynarra, began Belly Dancing in the mid-seventies. She is a longtime member of the Crescent Dancers, the Pioneer Valley’s premier Middle Eastern Dance Troupe, and has performed in numerous public and private venues all around New England.  Wanda has also been teaching for many years. Aside from the Abundant Wellness Center, she has taught at the Easthampton Community Center, the Lady Maidana Studios, Pathfinder Regional Vocational School in Palmer, MA, Holyoke Community College and the Hackworth School of Performing Arts in Easthampton, MA.  She has studied with many national and internationally known masters, and still performs regularly for all kinds of occasions, sharing the joy of belly dance and inspiring others to learn.

Kat Lovell
Kat Lovell, Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Hypnobirthing® Educator, Certified Fertility Hypnotherapist, Certified Parts Therapist. Kat Lovell holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and received her Certification in Hypnotherapy from the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) in July 2006, in addition to maintaining a successful Spiritual Counseling practice since 1999. Kat actively maintains her credentials with the NGH, and seeks to continually expand and update her knowledge and skills with additional certification and training.

John McCann
John is a licensed massage therapist and certified yoga instructor and maintains his own private massage practice Ingleside Therapeutic Massage and Yoga. Here, at Abundant Wellness Center, John teaches yoga. He has been a student of Hatha yoga for many years, and in 2004 completed a two hundred hour course to earn his certification as a yoga instructor. The following year, he completed an Advanced Teacher Training course for Anusara Yoga, taught by Deborah Neubauer of the Anahata Yoga Center in Northampton, MA. He is registered with the Yoga Alliance's National Yoga Teacher Registry.

Linda McDonald
Linda has a long history of experience providing individual personal and professional development services, as well as helping managers and organizations/businesses, to create organizational change that has a positive impact on the bottom line.  Her gifts and talents include an ability to capture the big picture, see the vision, attend to detail and build relationships through openness and creativity. Linda has a master’s degree from Springfield College in Organizational Psychology.  Other education and certifications include licensed and registered Occupational Therapist, Certified Life Coach with Coach for Life and 6 Advisors and Certified Inspired Learning Facilitator. One of the most popular programs she uses in her coaching practice is a personal and professional assessment report called Six Advisors ™.  This assessment report provides clear and concise measurements of the thoughts behind our behaviors and reveals strengths and challenges that either support or sabotage success. Linda has designed a new program for the Abundant Wellness Center called Spirit Wisdom Coaching. She’ll help individuals safely and effectively express their dreams, be who they truly are and create their own success through quality, professional coaching skills, profound connection, creativity and sacred space.  At the Center, Linda holds private sessions and frequent group workshops.  Linda has just released her first learning CD in the Magnificent Life Series called Are You Listening?

Kaiilama Morris
Kaiilama is a certified breath practitioner, who has studied and facilitated with both the Transformational Breath Foundation and The Power of Breath Institute for over eight years. She is presently Assistant Director of the Power of Breath Institute. Kaiilama’s greatest passion is in supporting others towards self-empowerment in and through love. Since the spring of 2006, several people have experienced Kaiilama’s Breath Education Classes at the Abundant Wellness Center. This breathwork will substantially increase your energy level, reduce stress, and receive relief from ailments such as migraine headaches, asthma, TMJ, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, depression and much more! Kaiilama’s greatest passion is in supporting others towards self-empowerment in and through love.
  
Heather Camille Nolan
Heather began her personal yoga practice as a way to prepare for stage performance and to relax after her days teaching public high school.  Over the last decade, she found the benefits of yoga to be so far-reaching that she began incorporating the postures in her classroom, noting that there is nothing more beautiful than twenty unruly adolescents silently balancing in tree pose!  Certified through YogaFit, Heather offers a gentle and accessible Hatha yoga practice, which builds strength and flexibility while creating a sense of balance among the body, mind and soul.

Jaclyn Provencher, LMT
Growing up, Jaclyn had always had an interest in the human body and how it works. In 2005, Jaclyn graduated from The American Institute of Massage Therapy in Pompano Beach, FL and moved back home to western Massachusetts to start her career as a Licensed Massage Therapist.  Jaclyn specializes in Swedish, and deep tissue therapeutic massage. She would also like to attend school to become a Physical Therapy Assistant to help further her knowledge and skills.

Cassandra Olewinski, LMT, NCTMB
Cassie graduated from Lakeside School of Massage in Milwaukee, WI in 2004 and her schooling included over 750 hours of instruction.  She is Nationally Certified through the NCTMB and is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association. Cassie first got interested in the massage field while still in high school.  She took part in a career readiness program called the Diversified Learning Program (DLE). As a senior she was able to work side by side with Massage Therapists and Physical Therapists.  Upon graduation in 2003 Cassie went straight to massage school and graduated with high marks in 2004. For the last three years Cassie has worked full time as a massage therapist in Chicopee and loves every minute of it. Cassie offers a wide range of services at the Center.  Her specialties include Deep Tissue Massage and Site Specific Work for various needs.  In January 2007, Cassie took a course to become a Certified Universal Reflexologist.

Debra Rusenko,  Lic. Ac., M.S.A.O.M., NCCAOM Dipl.
Debra Rusenko began her education with a B.S. in chemistry with a second major in biology from Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA and went on to complete an M.S. in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine from Bastyr University, Kenmore WA. She obtained advanced training in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Shanghai University of TCM in Shanghai, China where she concentrated her studies on Internal Medicine and Gynecology. Debra has completed a one year clinical residency at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, one of only two Acupuncture residency programs in the United States.  Deb is a Certified Diplomat in Acupuncture by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and is licensed by the Massachusetts Medical Board. Deb is also a Reiki Level 2 practitioner and incorporates Reiki healing into her acupuncture treatments. Her clinical interests include pain elimination, headaches and women’s issues, such as PMS, menstrual irregularities, infertility and menopause. In addition to her private practice at the Center, Deb teaches Human Systems as adjunct faculty at Greenfield Community College and Asian Modalities at Branford Hall School of Massage. 

Carolyn Ruszala
Carolyn is a certified Hatha yoga teacher and a graduate of the Mama Nirvana’s 200-Hour Level Teacher Training Program.  She also holds a women’s studies degree and Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Elms College.  She is an elementary school teacher.  Carolyn loves teaching yoga to adults at the Center and coaches her students to breathe, relax and enjoy the yoga practice.     

Val Sweeney
Val has been working in the fitness industry for over 10 years as a group exercise instructor and personal fitness trainer. Her passion for Pilates led her to begin studying at the Pilates Certification Center of Connecticut over 2 years ago, and now she is a Level One STOTT Pilates trainer. STOTT Pilates, the premier Pilates method in both the US and Canada, focuses on precision, technique and quality of movement, so students can achieve their goals regardless of age or fitness level. In addition to Pilates, Val is also fully accredited as an instructor in yoga, kickboxing, group cycling, body training and water fitness. She is certified in group exercise and personal training, and is also certified by the Arthritis Foundation as an Aquatic Program Leader.  Her great sense of humor and special attention to her students at the Center makes Val’s Pilates classes a success.
 
Diane Tellier, LMT, CST
Diane is a Reiki master and teacher of Usai, Karuna and Shambala. She has studied under many skilled masters including Brenda Edwards, Debbie Flynn and Siri Khalsa. Diane has been instructing Reiki at Holyoke Community College since 1997 and offers private instruction as well.  Diane is also a graduate of the Amherst School of Massage, and in 2002 received training in Cranial Sacral Therapy from the Upledger Institute. Additionally, Diane is a certified Hypnotherapist and studied at the Hypnodyne Foundation in 1997, the National Guild of Hypnotherapy in 1998 and continued her education with Steve Lavelle, owner of the Hypnodyne Foundation in 2000. March of 2007, Diane received her certification in Ashiatsu also referred as "barefoot massage".  Diane offers Massage, CranioSacral, Reiki and Hypnotherapy at the Center.

Jon Terrell, MA, CAGS, CST
Jon is a body-oriented psychotherapist, workshop leader and meditation teacher. He has over 30 years of experience and training helping people move out of habitual ways of being in the world to discover their own aliveness in the present moment. He directed one of the first wellness centers in the world that combined Eastern and Western healing techniques.  Jon studied clinical imagery at the Huntington Therapy Institute and has post-graduate training at the Institute of Process Therapy, the Institute of Transpersonal Therapy and the Shalom Mountain Retreat and Study Center. He also studied with many well known healers and clairvoyants including Russell Paul Schofield, the founder of the School of Actualism. Jon is a past president of Actualism Corporation, and directed the school's Psycho-Physical Healing Program for 14 years. He specializes in anxiety, stress and panic, physical and emotional pain, spiritual crisis, life transitions-career, couples counseling, relationships and bereavement. In addition to his private practice, Jon leads spiritual retreats in Massachusetts, New York and California. We are fortunate to have Jon facilitate Shalom Retreats here every 4 months. Jon is also the minister for our Interfaith Services held on the first Sunday of each month. With 30 plus years of experience as a counselor, meditation teacher and healer, Jon successfully combines counseling, energy bodywork and experiential processes to help people reconnect with their own power to heal and awaken.  Jon has a Masters Degree from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology as well as a post-graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. He is certified as a Somatic Therapist by ABMP and has completed additional training at the Institute of Process Therapy and Shalom Mountain Retreat and Study Center.

Kristen Thiel, B.A., LMT, NCTMB
Kristen studied psychology at Illinois State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997.  While serving professionally in the field of Human Service, she developed a deep interest in the connection between individuals’ mental/emotional states and physical well-being.  To pursue her growing curiosity in the mind-body connection, she continued her studies at the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy (CCMT) where she earned her diploma in 2000.  Kristen’s post-graduate training includes several hundred hours of advanced instruction. She completed certification in Medical Massage through CCMT and Hartford Hospital in 2001, gaining hospital-based experience working in orthopedics, cardiology, and oncology. Following certification, she continued to provide massage in the hospital setting, gaining further experience with patients on post-surgical, intensive care, and delivery/postpartum units. In 2004, Kristen completed certification as a Baby’s First Massage instructor and began teaching parents how to safely massage their newborns. She has also completed training in pregnancy massage, chair massage technique, Reiki, and hot stone application.  Kristen is currently a Licensed Massage Therapist in Connecticut and Massachusetts. She is Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and maintains professional active status with the American Massage Therapy Association.  At the Abundant Wellness Center, Kristen is available to provide Medical and Therapeutic, Swedish, Pregnancy, Hot Stone, and Chair massage. She also offers newborn massage instruction to parents and caregivers. 

Douglas Wilk
Douglas began his career in health care as a pharmacist. The former valedictorian became disillusioned with his choice of profession, however, when he began to realize that traditional care alone wasn't helping some of his customers at the pharmacy. Rather than getting well, their drugs often suppressed or masked their symptoms, instead of treating the underlying problem.  This realization led Douglas to leave pharmacology and pursue complimentary healing techniques designed to get results, rather than smooth over problems. Quickly discovering that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone, Douglas has made it his mission to explore different alternative therapies, studying various energy-based therapies such as E.F.T., Seemorg, Body Talk, and Quantum Touch. He is on a continual quest of knowledge for healing and wellness.  Aside of private appointments, Douglas facilitates the Quantum Touch 2-day workshops here at the Center.